Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are both looking to secure their places in the UEFA Europa League final after achieving favorable results in the first leg of their respective semifinals. The return fixtures are scheduled for Thursday, with United facing Athletic Bilbao and Spurs taking on Bodo/Glimt.
Following commanding performances in the initial legs, the English teams hold significant advantages. Manchester United recorded a convincing 3-0 away win against Athletic Bilbao, while Tottenham Hotspur secured a 3-1 victory at home against Bodo/Glimt. These results position both English clubs as strong favorites to advance to the final. However, the situation demands exceptional performances from Athletic Bilbao and Bodo/Glimt, who will need to be at their very best to overcome the deficits and keep their hopes in the competition alive.
The teams that successfully progress will meet in the final, scheduled to be held at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao on May 21. The champion of the Europa League will also earn a valuable spot in the UEFA Champions League for the next season.
Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming second-leg matches in the Europa League semifinals:
First Leg Scores
- Athletic Bilbao 0, Manchester United 3
- Tottenham Hotspur 3, Bodo/Glimt 1
How to watch Manchester United vs. Athletic Bilbao, odds
- Date: Thursday, May 8 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Old Trafford — Stretford, England
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Manchester United -115; Draw +260; Athletic Bilbao +280
What Manchester United are saying
While a three-goal lead heading into the second leg typically suggests a tie is effectively decided, Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is not taking anything for granted. Despite being relatively new to the job, having been in charge for only about six months, Amorim has already witnessed the potential for unpredictability within his team, leaving him uncertain which version of the Red Devils will show up on Thursday.
“It is hard to say,” he commented in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday. “Sometimes during the game, we are one team, something happens and we lose our mind a little bit. If you look at our team we cannot say today what is going to happen. Control the narrative – we cannot do that. I feel we need to score to go to the next round. We will have to suffer a bit to go to the final.”
Amorim also dismissed the idea that United have an easier task because Athletic will be missing three crucial players: their top scorer Oihan Sancet and the dynamic Williams brothers, Nico and Inaki.
“It doesn`t matter,” he stated. “For us it is the top team of Athletic. I understand it is hard to play without key players but for us it doesn`t matter. We need to go to the game and try to win it.”
How to watch Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur, odds
- Date: Thursday, May 7 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Aspmyra Stadion — Bodo, Norway
- TV: CBS Sports Network | Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: PSG +109; Draw +263; Arsenal +234
What Tottenham Hotspur are saying
Tottenham`s two-goal advantage, while slightly less substantial than United`s, still puts them within close reach of the final. This margin could potentially lead to a more tense match if Bodo/Glimt manage an early breakthrough. The situation inevitably raises the long-standing question surrounding Tottenham: can they finally break their 18-year trophy drought, and would winning this competition change the prevalent narrative about the club?
“I don`t know if it will change it, but certainly some of it becomes redundant for sure, because a big part of the narrative around the club is that we haven`t won for a very long time,” manager Ange Postecoglou said in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday. “Some of it will still exist beyond that. From my perspective, [it is about] how do you create a winning culture? It all starts with winning. The more experiences you have of winning, if you can land a trophy along the way, it certainly gives belief within the whole club that it is capable of doing. We`ve still got a big game tomorrow to even get through to get to a final before we can start talking about that.”
As Spurs navigate the journey ahead, whether it involves building a winning culture, lifting the Europa League trophy, or simply advancing past Thursday`s second leg, they will not be at full strength. Son Heung-min did not travel due to a foot issue, and both James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall are ruled out for the remainder of the season. These absences present selection challenges for Postecoglou, but as goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario noted, the team is accustomed to dealing with such situations.
“We always have to deal with it to be fair,” he said. “We will not have Sonny and Madders tomorrow, but it is on us. The entire squad will be crucial.”
Regarding the other potential reward – a spot in the Champions League – Postecoglou had a pointed response for anyone, specifically referencing Arsene Wenger, who might suggest the Europa League winner shouldn`t automatically qualify.
“Well that`s a debate that`s been raging for years, mate,” he commented. “At least the last eight days! I`ve never heard that before. I have said it before, mate: Spurs does crazy things to people. It does, it does. … You put that club (Tottenham) into any sentence or issue, and invariably they all come out and try and diminish us as much as they can. Why wasn`t it an issue before but it`s an issue now? What`s the difference? I don`t understand what the difference is. Last year, fifth (in the Premier League) didn`t get you into the Champions League, and now it does. What does that mean?”
